Sparking toy



L. V. ARONSON SPARKING TOY May 27, 1930.

Filed May 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 27, 1930. v. ARONSON SPARRING TOYFiled May 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Svwmdoz Patented May 27, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS V. ARONSON, OF NEWARK, NEW .1 ERSEY, ASSIGNORTO ART METAL WORKS, TNQ, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY SPARRING TOYApplication filed May 3, 1928. Serial l lo-274,688.

My invention relates to sparking toys and the main object of theinvention is to provide a simple and efiicient toy which upon beingwhirled first in one direction and then in the 5 other direction, willproduce a series of sparks. Further and more specific objects, featuresand advantages will more clearly ap pear from the detail descriptiongiven below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings whichform a part of'this specification.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective of a device embodying theinvention in one form. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the whirlingmembers thereof, Fig. 3 illustrates inperspective the various partsthereof disassembled, Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. .1 illustrating amodification, Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the whirling members ofthe device shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a perspective of the variouspartsthereof disassembled. X

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3,-7 and 8 represent two sheet metal discs,each provided with openings or windows 9' and centrally disposed holes10 and 11 respectively. Arranged fiat against the inside faces of thediscs 7 and 8 and so as to cover the window openings 9 and form coloredpanes therefor, are colored celluloid sheets 12 and 13-respectively,these sheets being provided with centrally disposed holes 14 and 15respectively. Arranged'flat against the inside faces of the sheets 12and 13 are discs 16 and 19 respectively having abradantsurfaces on theirinside faces. These sheets may be formed of heavy emery paper and likethe sheets 12 and 13, may be shaped in the form of discs. They are alsoprovided with central holes.18 and 17 respectively. 20 represents aspacer comprising a tubular member internally screw: threaded at eachend thereof. 21 and 22 represent U shaped members each provided witherforated outwardly extending ears 23. The

ase ortions' of these U shaped members are provided with holes adaptedto receive the screws 24 and 25 respectively.

The discs 16, 12 7 and the member 21 are all rigidly secured to one endof the spacer 0 20 in the order named by the screw 24 which which passesthrough the holes 11, 15 and 17 i and engages with the screw threads insaid other end of the spacer 20. The parts so far described are thus allrigidly connected together and form a unitary whirling member. The discs7 and 8 are provided with stamped out inwardly facing grooves 28 and 29respectively at their peripheries which aid in giving rigidity to thediscs.

J ournalled on the spacer 20 and freely rotatable about the' same, is aweighty disc member 26 preferably composed of a relatively thick pieceof iron or steel and provided with a plurality of spaced holestherethrough, through which are inserted and rlgidly secured sticks ofpyrophoric alloy material 27, which project from both sides of the disc20 and are adapted to engage the abradant surfaces 16 and 19respectively when the device is whirled.

Passing through the apertures in the ears of the U shaped member 21 arethe ends of two lengths of string 30 and 31 respectively. The ends areknotted to prevent them from slipping out of the apertures. The outerends of these strings are integrally or otherwise connected to form aloop which passes through a hole in a wooden ball 32. Passing throughthe apertures in the ears of the U shaped member 22 are the ends of twolengths of string 33 and 34 respectively, the ends of which are alsoknotted to prevent them from slipping out of the apertures. The outerends of these strings are also integrally or otherwise connected to forma loopwhich passes through a hole in a wooden ball 35.

In operation the operator firmliy gras s the balls 32 and 35, one 1neach han and w y alternately pulling the same apart to put the stringsunder tension and then rellevln the tension, the strings are caused tobe twisted first in one direction and then in the other direction in amanner well understood by those skilled in the art. This causes thewhirling member comprising the discs 7 and 8 andfarts rigidly connectedthereto, to be rotate first rapidly in one direction and then quicklyreversed and rotated rapidly in the other direction and so on,alternately, with the change from one to the other taking placesuddenly. The member 26, however, because of its weight and the momentumdue thereto, lags behind the other parts in the rotation thereof, sothat the discs 7 and 8 and the abradant material 16 and 17 respectivelycarried thereby, are caused to rotate with res ect to the pyrophoricpieces 27 engaging t e same, whereby the pyrophoric pieces 27 areabraded causing showers of sparks to be issued therefrom which arevisible through the window openings 9 as well as through the peripheralopening between the discs 7 and 8. Through this opening the sparks willappear to be white or of natural color and the sparks may be projectedradially beyond the edges of the discs 7 and 8. The disc 12 may becolored red and the disc 13 may be colored green, whereby the sparkswhen viewed through the thus colored window-panes on one side willappear to be red and when viewed through the thus colored window paneson the other side, will appear to be green.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the parts 7, 8, 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, 26and 27 are the same as Figs. 1, 2 and 3 except that the discs 12 and 13are each variegated in color. For example, they are provided withcentral bands colored red and outside bands 37 colored blue, so thatwhen viewed from either side the sparks will appear alternately as ofred and blue color. Instead of using the screws 24 and 25 and U shapedmembers 21 and 22, in this form, I have substituted therefor screws 38and 39 provided with heads 40 and 41 respectively through which extendapertures 42 and 43 respectively. A string 44 is tied together at itsends forming an endless string passing through the aperture 42 andthrough the wooden ball 32 so that there are in effect two stringsextending from this side of the whirlmg member. Another string 45 isalso tied together at its ends to form another endless string whichpasses through the aperture 43 and through the ball 35, so that thereare in effect two strings extending from the other side of the whirlingmember, and the device may be operated thereby in the same manner asdescribed in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3. i

Also in Figs 4, 5 and 6, I have shown a sheet metal band 46 extendingaround the periphery of the device so as to substantially enclose thedisk 26 and other parts between the discs 7. and 8. The band 46 is heldin place by havmg its edges seated in the grooves 28 and 29. The band-46is provided with window openmgs 47 and laid on the inside of the band 46is a band of colored celluloid 48 to provide colored trans arent panesfor the window openings 47 tirough which the sparks may be viewed whenlooking at the device radial- 1y. The band 48 may be variegated in colorso that the sparks appearing through the window openings 47 will appearto be of various colors.

While I have described my improvements in detail and with respect tocertain preferred forms thereof, I do not desire to be limited to suchdetails or forms since many changes and modifications may be made andthe invention embodied in widely different forms and kinds of deviceswithout departing ,from the spirit and scope of the invention in itsbroader aspects. Hence I desire to cover all forms and embodimentscoming within the language or scope of any one or more of the appendedclaims.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A toy having a whirling member, two strings extending from one sidethereof and connected together at their outer en-ds, two stringsextending from the other side thereof and connected together at theirouter ends, said strings serving as means by which the member may bewhirled, about an axis passing therethrough, said member including adisc with colored window panes therein, a weighty member rotatable withrespect to the first member about the same axis whereby when the firstmemberis rotated it is rotated with respect to the weighty member, anabradant surface on one of said members and apyrophoric pie'ce carriedby the other member and engaging said abradant surface to produce sparkswhen the first member is whirled, which sparks are visible through saidcolored panes.

2. A toy having a whirling member, two strings extending from one sidethereof and connected to ether at their outerends, two strings extendingfrom the other side thereof and connected together at their outer ends,said strings serving as means by which the member may be whirled, aboutan axis passing therethrough, said member comprising two spaced discsrigidly connected together at said axis, a weighty member journalledabout said axis between said discs whereby when the first member iswhirled it is rotated with respect to the weighty member, abradantmaterial carried by one of said members and pyrophoric means carried bythe other member and engaging said abradant material when the firstmember is whirled.

3. A toy having a whirling member, two

strings extending from one side thereof and connected together at theirouter ends, two strings extending from the other side thereof andconnected together at their outer ends, said strings serving as means bywhich the .member may be whirled about an axis passing therethrough,said'membercomprising two spaced discs rigidlyconnected together at saidaxis, a weighty member journalled about said axis between said discswhereby when the first member is whirled it is rotated with respecttothe weighty member, abradant surfaces carried by said discsrespectively, pyrophoric pieces carried by said weighty member andengaging said abradant surfaces respectively when the first member iswhirled.

4. A toy having a whirling member, means for whirlin the same first inone direction and then in the other direction, said whirling membercomprising two spaced discs rigidly connected, and provided with coloredwindows, a weighty member journalled between said'discs and free torotate with respect thereto, abradant material carried by one of saidmembers, pyrophoric means carried by the other of said members andengaging said abradant material to produce sparks visible through saidwindows when the first member is whirled.

5. The combination of two spaced discs, with win-dowopenings therein,sheets of colored material covering said openings, two sheets ofabradant material, one on the inside of each disc, a spacer for saiddiscs, means securing the respective discs, sheets of colored materialand sheets of abradant material to the opposite ends of said spacer, aweighty member rotatable about said spacer, and pyrophoric membersprojecting from op posite sides of said wei hty member and adapted toengage said abradant sheets respectively. 3

6. The combination of two spaced discs, With window openings therein,sheets of colored material covering said openings, two sheets ofabradant material, one on the inside of each disc, a spacer for saiddiscs, two U shaped members, one on the outside of each of said discs,string sections attached respectively to the ears of said U shapedmembers, means securing the respective U shaped members, discs, sheetsof colored material and sheets of abradant material to the opposite endsof said spacer, a weighty member rotatable about said spacer, andpyrophoric members projecting from opposite sides of said weighty memberand adapted to engage said abradant sheets respectively. 7

7. A toy having a whirling member, means for whirling the same first inone direction and then in the other direction, said whirling membercomprising two spaced discs rigidly connected, a weighty memberjournalled be tween said discs and free to rotate with respect thereto,abradant material carried by one of said members, pyrophoric meanscarried by the other of said members and engaging said abradant materialto produce sparks which are visible when looking at the device radiallybetween said discs.

8. Spark producing mechanism comprising spaced rotatable members, aninertia member between said rotatable members, one of said memberscomprising an abradant surface, a pyrophoric member carried by anotherof said members, and means for producing relative movement between saidrotatable members and said inertia member.

9. Spark producing mechanism comprising spaced members, a transverse rodconnecting said members, an inertia member disposed on said rod betweensaid spaced members, one of said members comprising an abradant surface,a pyrophoric member carried by another of said members, and means forrotating said spaced members to produce movement thereof with respect tosaid inertia member.

10. Spark producing mechanism comprising spaced disks, a transverse rodconnecting said disks, said disks comprising abradant surfaces disposedin facing relation, an inertia member loosely disposed on said rodbetween said disks, pyrophoric material carried by said inertia memberfor engagement with said abradant surfaces, and means for rotating saiddisks to produce movement thereof with respect to said inertia member.

11. Spark producing mechanism comprising spaced disks, a transverse lOClconnecting said disks, said disks comprising abradant surfaces disposedin facing relation, an inertia disk loosely disposed on said rod betweensaid spaced disks, pyrophoric material carried by said inertia disk forengagement with said abradant surfaces, and means for rotating saidspaced disks to produce movement thereof with respect to said inertiadisk, said spaced disks outwardly of said inertia disk being unconnectedto each other.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

' LOUIS V. ARONSON.

